[syn: Qatar, Qatar Peninsula, Katar, Katar Peninsula]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Qatar
n 1: an Arab country on the peninsula of Qatar; achieved
independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; the economy
is dominated by oil [syn: Qatar, State of Qatar,
Katar, State of Katar]
2: a peninsula extending northward from the Arabian mainland
into the Persian Gulf [syn: Qatar, Qatar Peninsula,
Katar, Katar Peninsula]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Qatar
Introduction Qatar
------------------
Background: Ruled by the Al Thani family since
the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed
itself from a poor British
protectorate noted mainly for
pearling into an independent state
with significant oil and natural gas
revenues. During the late 1980s and
early 1990s, the Qatari economy was
crippled by a continuous siphoning
off of petroleum revenues by the
amir who had ruled the country since
1972. He was overthrown by his son,
the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa
Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in
1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its
longstanding border disputes with
both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil
and natural gas revenues enable
Qatar to have a per capita income
not far below the leading industrial
countries of Western Europe.
Geography Qatar
---------------
Location: Middle East, peninsula bordering the
Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 25 30 N, 51 15 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 11,437 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: as
determined by bilateral agreements
or the median line
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very
hot, humid summers
Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert
covered with loose sand and gravel
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl
103 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use: arable land: 1.27%
permanent crops: 0.27%
other: 98.45% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 130 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water
resources are increasing dependence
on large-scale desalination
facilities
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the
Sea
Geography - note: strategic location in central
Persian Gulf near major petroleum
deposits
People Qatar
------------
Population: 793,341 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 102,110;
female 98,053)
15-64 years: 72.1% (male 403,508;
female 168,428)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male
15,299; female 5,943) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.02% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.78 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.57 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.91 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.88 years
female: 75.48 years (2002 est.)
male: 70.4 years
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%,
Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions: Muslim 95%
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly
used as a second language
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 79%
male: 79%
female: 80% (1995 est.)
Government Qatar
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: State of
Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local short form: Qatar
note: closest approximation of the
native pronunciation falls between
cutter and gutter, but not like
guitar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
Government type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat,
singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al
Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al
Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan
al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm
Salal
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 19
April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD
issued a decree forming a committee
to draft a permanent constitution
Legal system: discretionary system of law
controlled by the amir, although
civil codes are being implemented;
Islamic law dominates family and
personal matters
Suffrage: suffrage is limited to municipal
elections
Executive branch: chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin
Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995
when, as crown prince, he ousted his
father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al
Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown
Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa
Al Thani, third son of the monarch
(selected crown prince by the
monarch 22 October 1996); note -
Amir HAMAD also holds the positions
of minister of defense and
commander-in-chief of the armed
forces
elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary
head of government: Prime Minister
ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani,
brother of the monarch (since 30
October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister
MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani,
brother of the monarch (since 20
January 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the monarch
note: in March 1999, Qatar held
nationwide elections for a 29-member
Central Municipal Council, which has
consultative powers aimed at
improving the provision of municipal
services
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council or
Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members
appointed)
note: the constitution calls for
elections for part of this
consultative body, but no elections
have been held since 1970, when
there were partial elections to the
body; Council members have had their
terms extended every four years
since
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and none
leaders:
International organization ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA,
participation: FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO
(pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Badr
Umar al-DAFA
chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20016
consulate(s) general: Houston
FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061
telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen
US: E. QUINN (since September 2001)
embassy: Al-Luqtas District, 22
February Road, Doha
mailing address: P. O. Box 2399,
Doha
telephone: [974] 488 4101
FAX: [974] 486 1669
note: workweek is Saturday-Wednesday
Flag description: maroon with a broad white serrated
band (nine white points) on the
hoist side
Economy Qatar
-------------
Economy - overview: Oil accounts for more than 30% of
GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings,
and 58% of government revenues.
Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion
barrels should ensure continued
output at current levels for 23
years. Oil has given Qatar a per
capita GDP comparable to that of the
leading West European industrial
countries. Qatar's proved reserves
of natural gas exceed 7 trillion
cubic meters, more than 5% of the
world total, third largest in the
world. Production and export of
natural gas are becoming
increasingly important. Long-term
goals feature the development of
offshore natural gas reserves. In
2000, Qatar posted its highest ever
trade surplus of $7 billion, due
mainly to high oil prices and
increased natural gas exports, and
managed to maintain the surplus in
2001.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.3
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,200
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1%
industry: 49%
services: 50% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2001)
Labor force: 280,122 (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $5 billion
expenditures: $4.8 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$900 million (FY01/02 est.)
Industries: crude oil production and refining,
fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel
reinforcing bars, cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 9.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 8.556 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy
products, beef; fish
Exports: $11 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum products 80%, fertilizers,
steel
Exports - partners: Japan 43%, Singapore 8%, South Korea
6%, US 4%, UAE 2% (1999)
Imports: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
food, chemicals
Imports - partners: UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, Italy
6%, US 6% (1998)
Debt - external: $13.1 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: Qatari rial (QAR)
Currency code: QAR
Exchange rates: Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400
(fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Qatar
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 142,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 43,476 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system
centered in Doha
domestic: NA
international: tropospheric scatter
to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to
Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine
cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
and 1 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 256,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: 230,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .qa
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 75,000 (2001)
Transportation Qatar
--------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,230 km
paved: 1,107 km
unpaved: 123 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km
Ports and harbors: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id
(Musay'id)
Merchant marine: total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 679,081 GRT/1,051,088 DWT
ships by type: cargo 10, combination
ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum
tanker 6
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Kuwait 1, United Arab
Emirates 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: 4 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
over 3,047 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
914 to 1,523 m: 1
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Qatar
--------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 316,885
note: includes non-nationals (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 166,214 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 6,797 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $723 million (FY00/01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 10% (FY00/01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Qatar
--------------------------
Disputes - international: none